Book of Dreams
by follow the halo
Summary: What if Jasmine wanted freedom and the only one who could give her was Aladdin? What if Jafar loved Jasmine so much he was willing to lose her? SUMMARY SUX, just read on to find out.


Disclaimer: I don't own Aladdin. A/N: This story is kinda confusing, what with the alternate universe(s) and dreams. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. And if you hate Aladdin as a bad guy, please don't flame me. Eek, I can already imagine Aladdin/Jasmine shippers hating me for this…

It was a hot day in Agrabah, the kind which made the princess seek solace from the heat in the cool gardens of the palace. The splashing sounds of the fountains were soothing to her ears, the princess sat at the edge of the fountain to catch the spray of mist from the water.

The vizier happened to walk through the palace gardens that day, perhaps for the very same reason as the princess. Contemplating, Jafar was struck by how Jasmine's blue outfit reflected water, the most precious substance one can find in the desert. Her face upturned towards the spray from the fountain, the slight smile she wore…Jafar found himself walking towards the princess.

Jasmine:

Oh, there he is. Jafar, her father's most trusted advisor. He was such a grumpy man, she used to think. But Jasmine had learned over the years, she could see how he hid behind wry humor. The sarcasm he used often was not meant to hurt her, he was merely expressing himself in the only way he could. Through words, side glances and witty remarks. And now she understood, why she had no need for other royal servants or teachers. It was because of Jafar, her companion.

Jafar:

Such a beautiful girl that Jasmine was growing up to be. Jafar was saddened when he learned of what the Sultan had decreed and ordered him to inform Jasmine. "Jasmine must marry a prince by her upcoming birthday," the sultan had said. Jafar paused to take in the scene before him, etching the image of Jasmine sitting at the fountain in his memory. He was going to lose her, and as the wife of some faraway prince, he may never come close to see her like this again. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes unconsciously, which Jafar quickly blinked away. It was painful, he realized. Jafar felt as if the world was caving beneath his feet, ready to swallow him up at any moment. Was this how heartbreak felt like? Could it be that he had fallen in love with the princess?

Jasmine noticed how Jafar hesitated before coming towards her, the sudden grief in his eyes. She felt an answering pang in her heart.

"Princess, I bring news from the Sultan, he wants you married to a prince by your upcoming birthday," Jafar said in a voice that was monotonous, as if he had a lump in his throat.

Jasmine was stunned. So soon? She knew that this was coming, but she had assumed that, just like how she had no other companions than Jafar, her father would put aside tradition. Apparently she was wrong. Not looking at Jafar, she asked, "I assume father asked you to pick a suitable candidate for me?"

"Yes." Silence reigned, both of them knowing that the relationship between them will never be the same again. Slowly, she will have to distance herself from Jafar, in fitting with the behavior expected of a future bride.

"That will be all, Jafar," Jasmine said. She finally looked up to Jafar, eye to eye. She was startled by how handsome he must have been when he was younger. The dark soulful eyes, the high cheekbones and the aristocratic nose, many women must have been crazy about him. How many women had he turned down? Jasmine wondered, how lonely Jafar must have felt, only having a girl for company. _Ahh, but you're no longer a girl, you're nearly a woman. _Jasmine blushed, how could she think of Jafar this way?

They sat together, both of them lost in thought.

…

Princess Jasmine dreamt of Jafar. Suddenly, he turned his back to her and walked away, refusing to turn to look at her even when she called out his name. _"Jafar? Jafar!"_ she woke up with her beloved's name on her lips.

Looking at the way the princess stared longingly at Agrabah from her balcony, Jafar wished he could make

her smile. It would be one last thing Jafar would do before the suitors came for Jasmine's hand in marriage.

One night…

"Princess, we could get out of the palace and see Agrabah, if you like," Jafar said.

As expected, Jasmine's eyes brightened, but she hesitated to agree, asking "Is it safe?"

"Harun al-Rashid himself used to dress up as a commoner to better understand the people he was ruling over. If you're worried, princess, I promise you we'll be back before dawn."

Grinning, Jasmine agreed. "Let's go."

Taking a moonlit ride on horseback, they passed by a woman selling flowers. Seeing how the woman was selling these flowers to support her children, Jafar bought the flowers from her instead of plucking those growing from the pot on her windowsill. Instead of a few silver coins, Jafar paid the woman with many gold coins, much more than what the flowers and truly cost.

"Shukran, shukran!" The woman smiled. "May Allah bless you and your beloved!"

Jasmine blushed at hearing this but seeing how Jafar almost dropped the bouquet he purchased, she almost laughed out loud.

Jafar presented the flowers to Jasmine. "Forgive me Jasmine, if the flowers I chose do not suit your outfit," Jafar said, only just realizing how the red roses clashed with her blue outfit.

"No, Jafar, they're beautiful." She smiled, and sniffed the flowers. "It's perfect, thank you."

Jafar gave her a dazzling smile. Jasmine's breath caught in her throat. Does he even know how much he affected her, she wondered. He seemed oblivious to the fact that as she grew up, she began to see him no longer as a friend.

Too soon, they had to return to the palace. Jasmine fell silent, wanting this outing to last forever. Out of the blue, Jafar asked, "If you could have anything, what would it be?"

Instantly, Jasmine blurted out, "Freedom."

"If only I could grant you that," Jafar sighed. "As it is, I can only grant you this outing." Jasmine leaned closer to Jafar, meeting his eyes with a smile. Holding him tighter, she wondered if he knew how she felt about him.

…

With tears in her eyes, she remembered her latest suitor. Allah, if she was to be married to him, it would be like joining a circus, what with the parade, the elephants, the jugglers…and that was not all, this prince, Ali Ababwa, dared to come to her balcony and offered her a ride on his carpet. Naturally, she showed him what she thought of him. "Here, take this! Don't ever come back!" she threw a whole jug full of water in his direction. But in actual fact, she was also frustrated, frustrated at Jafar. How he thought she could possibly fall in love with any of these princes was beyond her.

Sobbing, Jasmine threw herself on her bed.

"_The princess wishes for freedom…"_ The sequence of events was altered, rearranging themselves.

…

"At least some good will come of my being forced to marry. When I am Queen, I will have the power to get rid of *you*," Jasmine scowled at Jafar. How dare he try to execute the boy from the market!

"Do you truly love him, Princess?" Jafar gave a searching stare into Jasmine's eyes. Jasmine merely stormed off towards her room. _It is written, "The princess will fall in love with a boy from the streets named Aladdin, who will come disguised as a prince…"_ Jafar sighed, he was being jealous when he ordered the boy executed, knowing full well that this was the boy Jasmine would love, who would give her the freedom she wanted. In the end he let him go, but he never told the boy why.

Princess Jasmine fumed, angry with Jafar. What would he know about true love anyway? She soon fell asleep, but instead of dreaming handsome, young Aladdin, she dreamt of Jafar.

"_Jafar! Come back! Don't you see how much I love you?" Jafar continued walking away from her._ "I love you!" Jasmine woke up. She had said 'I love you', but it was not meant for Aladdin, but for Jafar. She felt confused, very confused.

…

"Hey Princess, you wanna ride on my carpet?" Prince Ali Ababwa waited for her at her balcony.

Seeing her hesitate, he asked, "Don't you trust me?"

"Yes." The princess set off, flying on a moonlit night.

Passing by a windowsill of flowers, Aladdin picked one. "Hey! Don't do that! Those flowers are meant for sale!" Jasmine protested. _The woman who owned these flowers sold them to support her children. _

"So? I only picked one," Prince Ali said nonchalantly. "For you, princess," he presented the flower to her. Jasmine can't help but feel deeply disturbed.

…

"Father, I choose Prince Ali!" Jasmine announced. Everywhere, people were congratulating her and wishing her well. The Sultan was also happy for her, Jasmine noticed that Jafar was not among them. Well, wasn't this what she wanted? She had finally found the love of her life and was going to get married. Somehow, she had a feeling that she wanted to confront Jafar, the one who had disapproved of her choosing Prince Ali. Oh, he didn't say it out loud of course. But whenever Prince Ali's back was turned, he would quietly let slip some subtle remark that left her fuming.

"Father, may I be excused?" Jasmine left the banquet hall, Prince Ali waited with her father.

Looking for Jafar, she climbed the tower that led to his chamber. Knocking on the door, she waited.

"Come in." Walking into his room, Jasmine felt like she had been here before. His back was facing her and he refused to turn to acknowledge her.

"What, no comments on Prince Ali's lack of table manners? Anything else you would like to say before I marry him?" Jasmine said.

Jafar finally turned around and faced her. Jasmine was shocked to see the traces of tears on his cheeks and his reddened eyes.

"Jafar, have you been crying?" Jasmine asked.

"No."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. You should be happy for me, that I've finally found someone who loves me."

"But there is something I'd like to say. Prince Ali is…"

"Aladdin, yes, I know, the boy from the market. Knowing that you released him, I forgive you."

"No, he is not a prince masquerading as a street rat. He **is** a street rat."

"Enough of your lies, Jafar!" Jafar seized her hand before Jasmine could leave.

"Here is the book of dreams, look at it and you will know the truth." He thrust the book at her, and Jasmine read. In it, she read about her meeting with Aladdin, his life as a street rat, how he went to the cave of wonders through Jafar's intervention. Everything was written, how Aladdin wished himself to be a prince, even down to the details of their magic carpet ride. Jasmine felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

"And you knew about this? Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed.

"Because, in another life, you wished for freedom. With Aladdin as your prince, he could give you adventure and be the love of your life."

"What about the dreams I've had? We were lovers once, right?" Flipping the pages frantically, she could not find her past life.

"It is rewritten, you cannot find it again." Jafar said quietly, still stunned by Jasmine when she called them as being lovers. Was this true, did she love him before?

Suddenly, Jasmine stilled. She was having a vision, of how she and Jafar would sit together in the palace garden, discussing, arguing, and she remembered his tears when he told her about her suitors, her own tears that night in a life different from now.

" I remember now, Jafar. And yes, I love you." Jasmine set aside the book of dreams and kissed Jafar.

Abruptly, the kiss was interrupted by Aladdin. "You love him? And you kissed him, you cheap woman!"

Jafar growled, "How dare you call her a cheap woman!" He was ready to punch Aladdin in the face.

"Stop!" Jasmine shouted.

"This man tried to have me killed! And how could you, Jasmine, we were supposed to get married!" Aladdin raved.

Spying the book of dreams, Aladdin snatched it and proceeded to alter events yet again.

Erm, please no flames. Suggestions for next chapter are welcome. 


End file.
